Jason Wyngarde (Earth-616)
, , rejected applicant to the Inner Circle of the | Relatives = Mastermind (clone); Martinique Wyngarde (daughter); Regan Wyngarde (daughter); Megan Gwynn (alleged daughter); | Universe = Earth-616 | BaseOfOperations = | Gender = Male | Height = 5'10" | Height2 = (illusory) 6'2" | Weight = 140 lbs | Weight2 = (illusory) 190 lbs | Eyes = Brown | Hair = Grey | UnusualFeatures = His illusion has gray eyes and brown hair | Citizenship = | MaritalStatus = | Occupation = Professional criminal, former carnival mentalist, subversive | Education = | Origin = Mutant | PlaceOfBirth = | PlaceOfDeath = Muir Island | Creators = Stan Lee; Jack Kirby | First = X-Men #4 | Death = Uncanny X-Men Annual Vol 1 1993 | HistoryText = While working as a carnival mentalist, Jason Wyngarde was enlisted by Magneto to serve as member of the original Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. Magneto sought to protect his fellow mutants from persecution by conquering humanity and ruling the world himself. As Mastermind, Wyngarde helped the Brotherhood in pursuit of this goal. With his teammates Toad, Scarlet Witch, and Quicksilver, the Brotherhood battled the original X-Men repeatedly, but the X-Men continually thwarted them. During this period, Mastermind was sent by Magneto to recruit Unus the Untouchable for the Brotherhood, but he failed. Finally, Magneto attempted to enlist the enigmatic alien being known as the Stranger as an ally. Angered, the Stranger transformed Mastermind into stone and transported Magneto to another planet. Eventually, Mastermind returned to normal and joined Factor Three, another organization of superhuman mutants bent on world conquest. However, Mastermind and his allies joined the X-Men in defeating Factor Three's leader after discovering he was an extraterrestrial being. Later, Mastermind was invited to apply for admission to the Inner Circle of the Hellfire Club. To prove his worth, Mastermind sought to use his mutant powers as well as artificial means to psionically alter the personality of the X-Man Jean Grey. The Inner Circle hoped she would willingly become the Inner Circle's new Black Queen. Unknown to Mastermind or anyone else, his victim was not the real Jean Grey, but the cosmic entity known as the Phoenix Force, which had duplicated Grey's form and personality. Mastermind succeeded in causing the false Grey into becoming the new Black Queen, but unintentionally triggered the process that would soon transform her into the insane Dark Phoenix. Before the latter transformation was complete, the false Grey broke free of Mastermind's control and opened his mind to all the psionic sense impressions she received from the cosmos. Unable to cope with them, Mastermind fell into a catatonic state. The Inner Circle, of course, rejected his application for membership. Mastermind eventually returned to normal, but still remembered the glory of the cosmos he had perceived, and felt tormented at no longer being able to experience it. Though Jean Grey was believed dead, he decided to take revenge on Grey's friends, the X-Men. He somehow succeeded in inducing Mariko Yashida into calling off her wedding to the X-Man Wolverine, and caused the X-Man Cyclops and his teammates to think Madelyne Pryor, Cyclops' new love, was Dark Phoenix. Mastermind hoped to crush the X-Men's spirits by manipulating them into killing Pryor. But the X-Men discovered Mastermind's deception and defeated him. Some time later, Mastermind tried to contact the Phoenix Force once again through its then-current host, Rachel Summers, but he was defeated by Phoenix's team, Excalibur. Finally, Wyngarde discovered he had somehow contracted the deadly Legacy Virus, a disease which affected only mutants. About the same time, Mastermind was targeted by the mutant-hunting X-Cutioner, but he was helped by the X-Men. Wyngarde made peace with the X-Men and apologized to Jean Grey for his past misdeeds. Soon after, Wyngarde died from complications of the Legacy Virus. He was survived by his three daughters, the half-sisters Martinique Jason, the second Mastermind, Regan Wyngarde, known as Lady Mastermind, and Pixie. | Powers = Illusion casting: Mastermind is a mutant with the power of illusion casting. He can psionically cause other people to see, hear, touch, smell, and/or taste things which to not actually exist. For example, he can seem to make a solid wall appear in an empty space. He can also cause people to see, hear, touch, smell, and/or taste real things in ways that they would not do naturally. For example, he can make himself look and sound like a different person, or look and feel like a wall, or even seem invisible. Since his power only affects the mind, his illusions cannot be recorded on film or tape or by other means. However, his power works so strongly on the mind that even if his victim or victims know they are being subjected to an illusion, they will still react to the illusion as if it were reality unless they can rid themselves of all suspicions that it is indeed reality. Hence, if Mastermind creates the illusion of a wall, most people, even if they know it is an illusion, will still be unable to walk through it. Invariably Mastermind's illusions are so realistic that most people are unable to help having the feeling, at least subconsciously, that they are not illusions but reality. *''Limited Memory Manipulation: Mastermind can use his illusions to re-write the memories of impressionable minds such as children. This process is often flawed, however. *Special Limitations: Everyone within the range of his power, which can extend over an entire city (as when he helped Magneto capture the Latin American nation of Santo Marco), will see his illusions. | Abilities = | Strength = Mastermind possesses the normal human strength of a man of his age, height, and build who engages in no regular exercise. | Weaknesses = Without artificial aids, Mastermind cannot cause only one person among many who are present to see his illusions. | Equipment = Mind-tap mechanism created by White Queen, which boosted his illusion powers through simulated telepathy. | Transportation = | Weapons = | Notes = * Mastermind used an illusory alter-ego called Jason Wyngarde, that appeared to come from the 18th Century. Mastermind often uses his powers to give himself an illusory handsome appearance. | Trivia = *The name "Jason Wyngarde" is a reference to the actor Peter Wyngarde, who was the leader of the Hellfire Club in an episode of ''The Avengers that inspired John Byrne, but is best known for playing Jason King. (The more-handsome version of Mastermind from the Hellfire Club stories is a dead ringer for Jason King.) | Links = }} Category:Telepaths Category:Illusionists Category:Wyngarde Family Category:Legacy Virus Victims Category:Killed by Legacy Virus